Civilization is a word that we have all thought of at least once in our lives. Characteristics of civilization might be a little complicated to get to know when you don’t even know the right meaning for “civilization”
Some people say that studying the characteristics of civilization can influence our lives. But how? If you are interested in this area, in this article we will explain everything about this subject and its features.
what is civilization in history?
The word itself comes from the Latin root “Civilis” which came up during Enlightenment. The concept of this subject has been a very Controversial thing for scholars of all time. Civilization describes the way people live in urban areas and learning these ways can affect our future too. The stage of social growth and organization is also defined by this word.
On the other hand, civilization is some social and cultural habits and structures that the government makes.
10 characteristics of civilization
Every civilization has some special characteristics which distinguish a civilization from other kinds of society. So to be considered a civilization every culture or society has to meet these requirements:
- Stable food supply
One of the most important characteristics of civilization for society is a sustainable food supply. This means that each and everyone must have access to enough food and this is one of the reasons for the population growth. When it is possible to provide food such as meat, vegetables, and fruits for everyone, it will be one of the foundations of existing civilization.
Read more : Ancient egypt makeup history
- Social structure
The proper social structure makes a healthy society be formed by distinct and stable institutions that interact and live among each other.
- System of government
When the number of people increases, the need for the existence of the government appears to take care of the organization of human activities. Furthermore, governments set rules for how people interact and live. Different types of government can be one of the characteristics of civilization.
- Religious system
Religions have a special place in every culture and there are a lot of reasons for them. One of the most important reasons is that belief or faith in a spiritual or divine power can give a special meaning to people’s worldly life. This common belief among people creates more solidarity and interaction among them.
- developed culture
Civilization is the result of a set of social and cultural development that changes attitudes and values. That’s why we can say that culture is a part of the characteristics of civilization.2
- Technology
If you look at past civilizations such as ancient Egypt, you will understand that technology plays an important role in the formation of these civilizations. This technology was created at the beginning of civilization through wooden and bone tools for hunting. After that, the use of different tools to make farming or food preparation easier made it easier to work indirectly on the increase in population and other indicators of civilization.
- written language
The 7th thing about civilization is having a system of writing. Writing is an important tool for people to communicate with each other and also keep accurate records. This system can help them communicate with people from far away without the need to travel.
- Standards of measurements
Many civilized societies have developed specific tools for measurement. These tools have changed according to each time and with technological advances.
- Social stratification
Social stratification can be one of the characteristics of civilization. A healthy society consists of groups that are divided based on socio-economic factors such as wealth, income, race, education, ethnicity, gender, occupation, social status, or the resulting power.
- art
Having a significant artistic activity is another element of civilization. If you take a look at some examples you will see a lot of acts of art that painters and sculptors made to tell a story. Stories can be about nature, Gods, or anything they worshiped.
Read more : what is art in early civilization?
What are the 5 features of civilization?
Every Civilization has 5 important features that have a special effect on it. These features are elements that not only can build a civilization but can contribute to it. Advanced cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, monuments. In the following, we introduce each of these features.
Advanced cities
One of the most important features of civilization is advanced cities. Every civilization has some places where people can gather around, communicate and trade goods or services.
Monuments
Every civilization has some monuments that keep the legacy of its leaders, heroes, and achievers. Some of the sculptures can act as the same thing and be honorable to the people.
Read more : oldest civilization in the world
Specialized workers
The existence of specialized workers is one of the main features of every civilization. By producing surplus products and goods needed by society, these people make these services sufficient for all people and as a result, the progress of societies. As life in the villages became more complicated, all kinds of specialized jobs also grew, and instead of producing all the products they needed, each individual began to provide specialized services in various fields. Farmers and artisans, specialized workers in complex villages included the saints and finally the government.
Trade and Availability of Goods
As we mentioned before, trades can make communication between people that defines one of the characteristics of civilization.
Agriculture
Last, but not least feature of a civilized society is having agriculture that can help make enough food for everyone.
Conclusion of characteristics of civilization world history
In this article, we talked about all the different characteristics of civilization. Living in a civilized society has many advantages for humans. For example, security in society is one of the blessings of civilized society. Each item such as the existence of the government, technology, sufficient food resources, or other things that we explained in this article is part of the characteristics of civilization. This is why humans can seek a higher level of goals by providing for these kinds of needs.
What do you think about civilization? Do you think there are any other elements or characteristics of a civilization that we didn’t mention? Feel free to write your thoughts for us in the comment down below.
